This blog was started on the 1st of May 2007 and aims to provide information about the birds of Islay.

Saturday, 7 June 2014

Saturday 7th June

Gordon Yates kindly sent through this image of a Corncrake which he had taken earlier on this week, thanks Gordon! This morning just he was leaving here, Michal heard a Chiffchaff calling away in the woods, and then the Cuckoo started up, and almost 10 hours later it is still at it, does it never get hoarse??? Another visitor today was Gary Turnbull who is over for the weekend with a party of 10 from the Renfrewshire RSPB members group. Coming over on the ferry yesterday, they had 4 Porpoises in the Sound of Islay, a Golden Eagle there too as well as an Osprey over Jura. Up at Bunnahabhain they had a GND in the bay, a great start to their stay... Today in the rain, they had Common Sandpiper, Rock Pipit, 6 Red breated Merganser, another GND and 2 Red throated Divers as they headed out to Claggain Bay, they also saw an Eider there with 4 young ducklings. Back over this side of Islay, the Mute Swan down below Rockside on the lochans there, it was proudly showing off her brood of 6 youngsters, a long wait, but well worth the wait!